Almond Macaroon Squares With Chocolate Cream - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 oz blanched almonds
3 None medium egg whites
Pinch None salt
2 3/4 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra to dust
1 cup ground almonds
1 2/3 cup whipping cream
9 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz chocolate hazelnut spread
None None sugar work waffles, to garnish (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Line a 15 x 12 inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Dry toast the almonds in a pan for 2-3 mins, stirring. Remove and leave to cool then roughly chop.
Beat the egg whites using an electric hand whisk until stiff. Beat in a pinch of salt and gradually beat in sugar and powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Gently fold in the ground almonds. Sprinkle the chopped almonds onto the baking tray then spread the meringue mixture over them. Bake for 25-30 mins, until golden.
Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the dark chocolate until it melts. Pour the mixture into a bowl then cover and chill for 2 hours.
Remove the macaroon base from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, spread the chocolate hazelnut spread on top. Slice into 24 squares.
Beat the chilled chocolate cream with an electric handwhisk until fluffy. Quickly transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star-shaped tip. Pipe a large rosette of chocolate cream on half the square then a small rosette on the rest. Place the squares on top of one another, using the picture as a guide. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with sugar work, if desired. Serve.